Cool Cats

Cats are the coolest animals on the planet. Well, in my opinion anyway - I think that they really are amazing creatures. I often find myself marveling over the feline innate behaviors.

Cats have their own laundry or body soap solution, and can wash themselves in all areas (except behind the ears and at the nape of the neck). Oh, and they can be picked up (with teeth!) by the nape of the neck, without ever flinching or griping or calling out in pain.

I love the fact that cats don't hassle or pounce or jump all over you when you enter a room. They have little interest in your command performance attention like their wonderful counterparts and will never apply a face full of slobber, a front full of mud prints, or a fat slam on your butt to the ground.

Cats are amazingly intuitive and always seem to know when you need them. That is, if you are sad, depressed, lonely, or ill, they will usually pick up on your vibe and then will give you attention. Numerous studies have been done to indicate that pets in general, but especially cats, that have been introduced homes and hospital wards, that illnesses have decreased, stress levels reduced, and the feeling of well-being returned to degrees of something around 15% improvement.

And for those of us that are passionate about kitty cats, you may find it interesting that they were a revered animal in Egypt in ancient times. Cats were found buried in the tombs and sarcophagi of the royalty. They were reportedly so esteemed that if a person was caught harming a cat they were executed.

Students and professors at Cornell studied and determined that cats have 100 different vocalizations. My favorite vocalization is the purrrrr, just as if they were chirping with giddy delight. It is happy, it is friendly, and it is a greeting.

I am really not all that intellectual about cats, though I do acknowledge a deep respect for and kind of metaphysical fascination with cats. So I am always learning something new, coming to understand their biological imperatives-that they wash immediately after eating (or after you eat, even) so they don't (their cells recall this from jungle days eons back) appear as food or prey. They scratch and claw stuff not only to sharpen their claws, but also to leave a scent for those competitors that might even think about treading on their domain. If you've ever watched Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat, it's easy to see why a cat was the perfect character.